Bee hive foundation frame



Sept. 13, 1955 J. E. WILLARD BEE HIVE FOUNDATION FRAME Filed Jan. 15, 1951 Joseph E. Willard INVENTOR.

United States Patent BEE HIVE FOUNDATION FRAME Joseph E. Willard, Christiansburg, Va.

Application January 15, 1951, Serial No. 205,970

3 Claims. (Cl. 20-92) This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structural refinements in foundation frames for bee hives, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a discerptible frame which may be quickly and easily dismantled for the purpose of installing a new foundation sheet therein, thus eliminating the inconvenience and annoyance which is usually encountered in attempting to install a foundation sheet in frames of conventional types.

The above object is achieved by constructing the frame from a pair of juxtaposed, separable sections which are adapted to receive a foundation sheet therebetween, an important feature of the invention residing in the provision of means for easily and conveniently securing the two sections together.

Some of the advantages of the invention lie in its simplicity of construction, in its eflicient and expeditious operation, and in its adaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement and construction of parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention in its assembled form,

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the invention dismantled,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary end view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary end view, taken substantially in the plane of the line 44 in Figure 1.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in the specification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the invention consists of a bee hive foundation frame which is designated generally by the reference character and comprises a pair of juxtaposed, separable frame sections A and B, each section including horizontal upper and lower members 12, 14 respectively, and a pair of side members 16 which connect the upper and lower members 12, 14 together, as shown. The connection between the members 16 and the members 12, 14 may be accomplished in any suitable manner, such as for example, by dovetailed joints 18, and it is to be noted that the end portions of the upper member 12 project laterally beyond the side members 16, in the usual manner.

A conventional foundation sheet 20 is adapted to be positioned between the two sections A and B of the frame 10, and means are provided for securing the two sections together so as to sustain the sheet 20 therebetween.

These means consist of a substantially U-shaped keeper 22 which is provided at its free ends with inturned, opposing detents 24, the end portions of the lower members 14 of the frame sections A and B being provided with aligned grooves 26 to receive the detents 24 while the keeper member 22 embraces the sides and bottom of the members 14 of the two frame sections.

Similarly, the end portions of the top members 12 of the two sections A and B are provided with aligned grooves 28 and a substantially rectangular keeper member 30 embraces the free end portions of the members 12 and has inturned, abutting ends constituting a detent 32 which is disposed in the grooves 28 of one of the members 12 and thereby sustains the keeper 30 in position.

It will be observed from the foregoing that by simply sliding the keepers 22, 30 off the respective members 14, 12, the frame sections A and B may be readily separated for the purpose of installing a new foundation sheet 20, as will be clearly apparent.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferred embodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of a pair of elongated juxtaposed members having end portions thereof provided with transversely extending coplanar and open sided grooves, and a fastener comprising a substantially U-shaped strip embracing the end portions of said members, and a pair of inturned opposing detents provided at the ends of said strip, said detents extending into said grooves through the open sides of the latter.

2. The combination of a pair of elongated juxtaposed members having end portions thereof provided with transversely extending coplanar and open sided grooves, and

a fastener comprising a substantially loop-shaped strip embracing the end portions of said members, and a pair of inturned superposed detents provided at the ends of said strip, said detents extending into one of said grooves through the open side of the latter.

3. The combination of a pair of elongated juxtaposed members having end portions thereof provided with transversely extending coplanar and open sided grooves, and a fastener comprising a strip embracing the end portions of said members, at least one end of said strip having an inturned detent extending into one of said grooves.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

